Miss Kansas USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

At the conclusion of the Miss Kansas USA and Miss Kansas Teen USA 2008 pageant held in Lawrence, Kansas in December 2007, Michelle Gillespie is crowned by Cara Gorges (left)

The Miss Kansas USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state of Kansas in the Miss USA pageant.

Kansas did not place at Miss USA until 1973, the third-to-last state to make their first placement. From then, no delegate from Kansas made the cut until 1991, when Kelli McCarty won the crown. McCarty's win makes Wichita, Kansas the only state to host one Miss USA and Miss Teen USA to win in their home state. In 1992 the state joined the Vanbros group, which led to a surge in placements in the 1990s and early 2000s. This included two first runners-up, one second runner-up, one third runner-up and one fourth runner-up, among others. All but two of Kansas' nine placements have been runners-up.

Three former Miss Kansas Teen USAs went on to win the Miss title, and also two Miss Missouri USAs (Missouri is also a Vanbros state).

[edit] Results summary

[edit] Placements

• Winners: Kelli McCarty (1991)
• 1st runners-up: Danielle Boatwright (1996), Lindsay Douglas (2002)
• 2nd runners-up: Tavia Shackles (1993), Cara Gorges (2007)
• 3rd runners-up: Tiffany Meyer (2000)
• 4th runners-up: Kimberlee Girrens (1992)
• Top 12: Brenda Kopmeyer (1973), Carol Hovenkamp (1994)

[edit] Awards

• Best State Costume: Tavia Shackles (1993)
• Most Beautiful Eyes: Tavia Shackles (1993)
• Best in Swimsuit: Danielle Boatwright (1996)

[edit] Titleholders

¹ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

[edit] External links

• Official Website